Cross My Heart
by I-Promised-You-A-Rose-Garden
Summary: (HS Au) Sabriel. Gabriel is an angel. Sam is a human. That previously insignificant difference becomes key when the teens get ahead of themselves one evening, and their lives are turned upside-down. But through it all they lean on each other...and their loving but slightly dysfunctional families. Bonds and love in all forms are tested when things take an unexpectedly sinister turn.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! So, a few things: Still very new to the whole writing SPN fanfiction thing. This is my first time trying to write Sam and Gabe as main characters, and I'm a little nervous. I know it's by no means a masterpiece, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Let me know what you think, if it should be continued, etc. Thanks for reading!**

…

"_Um…so. Yeah." Sam stammered, standing with Gabriel at the end of the latter's street._

_The corners of Gabriel's mouth quirked up and he raised an eyebrow expectantly. _

"_You're good? I mean, with everything?" he finally managed, shifting uncomfortably._

_The angel's face broke out into a full-blown smile then, and he laughed. Sam decided then that the sound reminded him of wind chimes being tossed by a sudden, strong breeze, and he loved it._

"_Geez, Sam, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"_

"_Just checking," Sam mumbled. This was awkward. More awkward than it should have been, considering what had just transpired between them back at the Winchester's apartment. _

"_Are you sure you don't want me to walk you up to your house?" Sam had insisted on walking him home, despite the fact that Gabriel could fly. But the angel didn't mind. He enjoyed walking when he could, especially with Sam. _

"_Pfft. And never hear the end of it from my family? No way, Jose."_

"_Right," Sam said, recalling that Gabriel lived with his brothers—like Sam did with Dean, though the angel had four other brothers to deal with, as opposed to Sam's one. _

"_I'd better get in there," Gabriel chirped, turning to go. He must have caught the hesitant and slightly hurt look on the taller boy's face, however, because he leaned up on his tip-toes and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to Sam's lips. Sam felt it then, what he had felt earlier; warmth and electricity lighting up his nerves at the contact, nearly taking his breath away. He also heard the pleased rustling of feathers, though Gabriel had not manifested his wings._

"_Night, big guy," the blonde said softly when he pulled back, patting Sam's chest. _

_When Gabriel made it to his front door he looked back; he wasn't sure why until he saw Sam still standing there at the end of the street, hands in his hoodie pockets. Gabriel grinned and gave one last little wave before going inside. _

_Dean, home from work when Sam strolled in, made a crack about his brother's dazed expression and "heart eyes." But Sam didn't care. Not when he could still taste static on his tongue as he drifted to sleep that night. _

…

Gabriel gagged and swiped his mouth with his hand. "Aw, geez. You're kidding me. You got be _freaking_ kidding me," he mumbled, the side of his face pressed to the cool porcelain of the commode. This was not happening. It just wasn't happening. This had especially _not_ _happened_ after him and Sam's first time. Frick. _Double_ frick. Sam. How the hell was he ever going to tell _Sam_? They hadn't even technically been together when they'd fucked. Did Sam even consider them together? A couple? This was a fucking nightmare.

"Hey! Excuse me, prima donna! You're not the only one who wants to make sure his hair looks decent today!" Balthazar knocked on the door and impatiently jiggled the locked knob. Luckily that was all he could do, as house rules dictated that privacy was to be respected and there was no suddenly flitting (or "poofing" as Sam tended to call it) into a room when the door was locked. The rule was not always obeyed (Balthazar and Gabriel himself being the most frequent offenders) but Gabriel was hoping he'd caught his younger brother on a good day.

"Go. Away. Balthy," he groaned from his place on the bathroom floor.

"Oh come on, Gabriel! I can't use Michael and Lucifer's bathroom; you know how they get!" the younger angel whined.

"Dear_ gods_, I said one minute!" Gabriel snapped, reaching up to grab a hairbrush from the counter and hurling it against the door. It struck with a benign but loud _whack_; Balthazar muttered something else but thankfully let Gabriel be. The angel stood up on wobbly knees and braced himself against the sink. He turned on the faucet and splashed his hot face a few times. Gabriel studied himself in the mirror, noticed his color coming back, and smoothed out his hair and clothes in an attempt to look presentable. His fluttering hands paused briefly at his stomach; Gabriel glanced at his phone (which he'd dropped on the floor during his unexpected but desperate fumble to the toilet) and had the fleeting thought that maybe he could—_should_—call Sam.

But no. Not yet; not now, no matter how much the angel longed to hear the other boy's voice at the moment. He could be mistaken, after all. He simply sighed and stuffed the phone in his pocket, exiting the bathroom to join the week-day morning noise and chaos in the kitchen. His unusual silence went overlooked in the face of Balthazar spilling orange juice all over Castiel's homework.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Twenty-something years ago, the powers that be decided that it would be a fantastic idea for human/angel relations if the schools were combined. It was the first of many steps toward the goal of integrating the beings into each other's lives. _Start with the children_, they'd said, _and the rest of the world will follow_. And they'd been right—for the most part. There were still kinks to be worked out, old-timers and nay-sayers that refused to let go, but things had only improved and progressed since the decision.

It was one of the best decisions ever made, if you asked Gabriel. It was all because of it that the angel even knew of Sam Winchester. He'd been a freshman the first time he'd laid eyes on the lanky, cute sophomore walking across the school parking lot with his friends, though admiring from afar was the best Gabriel could do up until just this year. As a junior and senior respectively, Gabriel and Sam had some space to fill on their schedules and had both signed up for the same elective public speaking class. And if that weren't enough, the two had finally been paired together for a presentation project. In fact, it was while working on said project that Sam had first kissed Gabriel. It wasn't the weeks of sexual innuendo and shameless flirting on the angel's part that had done it, oddly enough (Sam had mostly just rolled his eyes at it once he'd become comfortable around Gabriel). It was while Gabriel was talking about their topic; the sixteen year old wasn't serious very often, but he was getting more and more passionate, his gestures more animated, and Sam had just leaned in…and kissed him—captured the blonde's mouth mid-sentence. Gabriel was flabbergasted but melted into it quickly. One thing had led to another, and, well…

"Hey!"

Gabriel shook himself out of his trance and looked around until his eyes landed on Sam waving to him from the school's front steps. Gabriel took in the seventeen year old as he made his way over to the angel. Sam had gotten taller over the last couple of years by several inches. His thin form had given way to more muscle as he'd grown, and he was letting his hair grow a little. Gabriel, for his part, had to begrudgingly accept that he was not going to get any taller, and it was noticeable every time he had to look up at the brunette who towered above him.

"Morning, Samsquatch," Gabriel greeted cheerfully enough, though he suddenly felt nervous.

"Hey, Gabe," Sam answered. "Listen…I know I've been busy the last few weeks, and I'm really sorry, ok? I'll make it up to you as soon as debate team calms down." He moved closer, inches away. Gabriel wanted to lean into him and stay there.

"It's fine, Sammy," Gabriel dismissed nonchalantly. He and Sam hadn't really gotten together much since that evening at Sam's apartment, though they'd texted fairly often and spent time at school together when they could. Gabriel was starting to think the worst, and Sam's apology came as a relief.

"It's not. I just…what happened a few weeks ago"—(Gabriel snorted, bemused at the light blush that came to the other boy's face)—"wasn't nothing, just because it sorta happened at a weird time. I'm not that kind of guy," Sam seemed desperate to get something across to Gabriel, and sighed with relief when Gabriel jumped up and encircled his neck in a tight hug.

"I know, Sam. But thanks." So close he could whisper now, and Gabriel's heart rate sped up. He was tempted—so tempted to brush his lips across Sam's ear and tell him. Tell him so he could take some of the massive weight on his broad shoulders, or put it back on Gabe altogether. Just to get it over with. But before he could do anything, Sam gave Gabriel a final squeeze before setting him back down.

"I gotta get to class," he yawned. Gabriel tilted his head at the boy.

"No sleep last night?"

Sam shook his head.

_You and me both_, Gabriel quipped inside his own head.

"Need some kind of pick-me-up this morning or something," Sam mumbled. Gabriel smirked playfully, a mischievous glean in his golden eyes. Sam wrinkled his brow, but before he could catch on and say something, Gabriel was gone.

"Gabe!" Sam called, glancing around. "Where the hell…?"

Sam started getting anxious after a few minutes, but the angel appeared right back in front of him again, latte in hand.

"For you," he said, holding the drink out and bowing slightly.

Sam shook his head, trying to contain a smile. "Gabe, you're gonna get in trouble doing that. You know we're not supposed to leave school grounds without permission once we're here."

"Just take it, you giant nerd," Gabriel replied with an eye-roll.

Sam glared at him but paused to take a sip, closing his eyes and sighing softly. "Mmm. But thank you."

"Sure thing, kiddo."

The bell rang, and when they made it back to the front steps, before they went their separate ways until public speaking, Sam leaned down and planted a quick but sincere kiss to Gabriel's cheek.

"See you in a little while?"

Gabe nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The small action had made something well up in his chest, much to his chagrin. Hormones _already_?

He watched Sam's retreating figure until the warning bell rang.

…

Gabriel had been fine all day. Sure, he had a lot on his mind (it hit him at random times throughout the day that there was indeed a child growing inside of him, and he narrowly avoided several panic attacks), but he was getting through the day just fine…until his last class. Public speaking with Sam. He'd taken his usual seat behind Sam, who had twisted around in his chair to greet Gabe with a smile. They talked and laughed about their day so far, and as class time got closer, Gabriel licked his lips and went for it.

"Listen, Samsey, I need to talk to you. Today."

Sam blinked. "Oh. Uh, ok. Now? Is it important?"

Gabriel cringed. "No, not now…but yeah it's kinda important."

"Gabe, what's up?"

"Sam, I—not here, ok."

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah. Alright. I mean, I have debate practice right after class, but I can be late."

Sam turned back around in his seat and Gabe sank down in his seat, heart pounding. That's when he felt it. The slight churning down in his gut that usually signaled another vomiting session.

_No._ Gabe took some deep breathes and willed his stomach to settle. It did, for the time being.

They were presenting their homework assignments to the class today, a brief paragraph to be read. When Sam got up to read his, Gabriel leaned forward in his desk and looked on fondly. He loved listening to Sam talk. The older boy's physical presence commanded enough attention already, but it was his words, the smooth lilt of his voice and the pattern of his speech that really drew you in. It was no wonder he was co-captain of the debate team. When he was finished, Gabriel was the only one to clap enthusiastically and whistle. Sam blushed but smiled proudly at him.

Gabriel struggled to stay awake during the next few readings and had to be gently tapped by Sam to get his attention when the teacher called his name.

"Gabriel. _Mr. Novak_. If you don't mind."

Gabriel grumbled and made his way to the front of the class with the paragraph he'd written just that morning. He was halfway through it when he abruptly froze, the color draining from his features.

"So—yeah, um—

He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, and giggles arose around the room. Apparently, they thought this was some sort of joke or messing around on the angel's part. Sam's blue eyes, however, were wide with alarm and he looked like he wanted to jump up and help.

"Mr. Novak, if this is some sort of distraction tactic because you didn't finish the assignment—

But before he could go on with his chiding, Gabriel was gone, poofing out of the classroom and leaving everyone else confused.

Gabriel didn't make it far; he ended up outside a side door not far from the classroom. The final bell rang while Gabriel was emptying his stomach in the grass.

"Gabe?! Gabriel!"

That would be Sam, frantically looking for the angel in the hall. Gabriel wiped his mouth and sighed, and then opened the door a crack.

"Out here, sport," he called somberly.

"Gabe? Hey! What happened back there? What's wrong?"

Sam put his hands on Gabriel's arms and studied him intently. Gabriel stared back, at the tightness of Sam's mouth and the concern written all over his face. It was the way he was stroking up and down his arms that pushed the shorter boy over the edge.

"Fuck," he said, pushing Sam's hands off of him and backing away. "Fuck."

Sam startled. "What? What is it?"

Gabe ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it. This isn't how I wanted you to find out, Sam. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Sam's hand rested on his shoulder again. "Tell me what, Gabe? Are you sick? Is that what it is? I didn't think you guys could get sick, what's—

"Oh geez, I'm pregnant Sam!" Hot tears sprang to Gabriel's eyes, and Sam's grew to the size of saucers.

"I'm pregnant," Gabe repeated breathlessly, as if the air had been punched out of him.

"What," Sam said softly. "Gabe, _what_."

"It's yours," the angel stated dumbly, just for the sake of saying something.

"Well, I figured. I mean, I didn't think you—oh, _man_," Sam rambled, bringing his hands up to rub his face slowly.

"Are you sure?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah. There's not much else that make angels sick like this, Sammy."

Sam nodded absently. "Ok. Alright."

Silence fell between them. Sam just stared, as if dazed, and Gabriel shook his head.

"What are we gonna do, Sam? I'm sixteen fucking years old and…"

His tone hit a helpless note, and Sam snapped out of his daze.

"Hey. C'mere. It's ok. It's going to be ok."

"No it's not," Gabriel protested into his shoulder. "You're co-captain of the debate team. You're a super genius, Sam! You're gonna graduate soon and go off to school and leave."

"I'm not!" Sam insisted, pulling the blonde closer. "Gabriel, listen. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. We'll make this work; we'll get through it…somehow."

"Promise?" Came Gabriels muffled response. Ugh, but he sounded needy!

"Cross my heart," Sam said, kissing the top of the angel's head.

Gabriel nodded against him. He wiped his eyes as they broke apart. When he looked back up at Sam, the boy was studying him again.

"What?" Gabe asked defensively.

"Nothing. Just…"

Sam reached up and brushed his fingertips across the angel's middle.

"….here. Really?"

Gabriel nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Wow," Sam breathed, eyes full of wonder and fear. He let his arm drop suddenly.

"Gabe, I'm sorry," Sam said sincerely.

Gabriel blinked. "You're sorry? For what?"

Sam shrugged.

"Hey, you wanted some of _this_," Gabriel said, gesturing over his whole body. "Can't say I blame you."

"Gabriel," Sam groaned, face-palming.

Gabriel chuckled. "But seriously Sammy, don't be sorry. It's as much my fault as yours."

"Hmm. So…" Sam started hesitantly. "When are we telling our families?"

Gabriel paused, as if the idea had only just occurred to him. He'd been so worried about Sam, he hadn't let himself think about his brothers. "Oh _crap_, I have to tell my freakin' family. Frick, that includes Michael. He's…he's going to be livid, Sam. And not just pissed. Disappointed," Gabe drew out the word, using air quotes. "He already thinks I'm more trouble than I'm worth, just wait until I tell him I'm the next Teen Mom applicant!"

"Gabe, calm down. We'll do it together. I'll go with you."

Gabriel snorted. "Thanks but no thanks, kiddo. You don't need to be anywhere near my house when I tell them."

Sam chewed his lip and nodded. "Yeah. And no offense, but I probably need to tell Dean by myself."

Gabriel waggled his eyebrows and smirked.

"Made an impression, did I?"

"You could say that," Sam answered wryly.

"Well, they're not gonna be home tonight 'til later. Luci's got a class and Michael's got a meeting or something. Tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "Better sooner than later."

"I guess," Gabe mumbled reluctantly. "Besides, it won't take long for them to notice a change in my aura, anyway."

They locked eyes and stared at each other, at everything between them, before Sam pulled the angel into another hug.

"It's getting late."

"I don't care," Gabe replied. Sam laughed softly into Gabriel's blonde hair.

"You will if we both get in trouble. I'm gonna go see if I can catch the tail end of debate practice and you'd better get home."

"Yeah, yeah," Gabe mumbled. Leaving Sam right now was the last thing he wanted to do, but the older boy was right. Sam tilted Gabriel's chin up and kissed him gently.

"It's going to be ok, remember?"

Gabriel nodded.

"Good. I'll text you later."

They parted; Gabriel checked the time. Walking would have been great for his nerves at the moment, but he needed to get home fast. Flying it was.

…

Balthazar and Castiel were sitting on the couch watching TV when Gabriel fluttered into the living room.

"Sup, homies?" He greeted his two younger brothers breezily.

"You're late," Balthazar answered bluntly.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Thanks _Mike_. What have you monkeys been up to?"

"Balthazar was explaining to me why these orange humans are getting paid to act like this on television," Castiel answered.

"It's called Jersey Shore, Cassie. Good lord man, put down the books and pick up a People magazine sometime."

"Hey, the kid doesn't wanna rot his brain, leave him alone," Gabriel admonished, ruffling his youngest brother's brown hair as he walked behind the couch.

Castiel turned and squinted at him. "Gabriel, are you ill? You look pale."

Balthazar whipped around and Gabriel cringed. Leave it to Castiel to notice things a gods-damned NASA satellite couldn't pick up.

"I'm fine, kiddo. Hey, aren't I babysitting tonight? Where's Luci and Mikey?"

"In the back," Balthazar answered.

Lucifer came down the hall as the Brit was speaking. "Hey, lil' bro. The school called a little while ago."

Gabriel's stomach dropped. "Yeah?"

Lucifer nodded. "Mm. Something about you pulling a Houdini in the middle of class—public speaking, I think. Ring any bells?"

"Who answered the phone?" Gabriel inquired nervously.

Lucifer smirked (the type of smirk Gabriel had picked up from his older brother over the years, Michael would note). "Don't worry; I did. And no, I didn't tell him."

Gabriel let out a breath, relieved. "Thanks, Luci."

"Sure. But Gabe…look, you're lucky I answered this time, but you might not be so lucky next time. And I can only keep things from Michael for so long."

"First off," Gabe began, holding up one finger, "class was almost over. And—

Lucifer held up a hand. "Gabe, I don't care. Just don't do it too much, don't get caught, and for fuck's sake don't just disappear in the middle of class like that. You two heard nothing," he added, addressing Castiel and Balthazar. The younger angels nodded.

A door closed somewhere in the back of the house. Lucifer paused and licked his lips, contemplating.

"Give Mikey a break, buddy. He's got a lot on his plate."

Gabriel swallowed hard and nodded, shifting his gaze to the floor.

And then Lucifer leaned in.

"Or his hair will get all gray and then he'll go bald like Zachariah," Lucifer winked as Michael appeared.

"What are you all snickering at?" He asked suspiciously. They all shook their heads, stifling their laughter, and the dark-haired angel rolled his eyes.

"Gabriel, you're in charge. You know what that means."

Gabriel raised his head. "That I was voted least likely to burn the house down? Yes!" he said, pumping his fist.

"Actually, that honor went to Cassie, but you'll be the oldest in the house for a while so you're in charge. Congratulations," Lucifer said unenthusiastically.

"It _means_," Michael interjected, "that you'll make sure everyone eats, does homework, and gets to bed at a decent hour if we're not back yet. And yes, no burning down the house."

"Pardon me!" Balthazar interrupted indignantly. "Cassie and I are fifteen, is all this really necessary?"

Lucifer snorted and Michael just ignored him.

"I got this," Gabriel said. Just go already."

"Bye kids! We'll be back late, tuck yourselves in," Lucifer chirped. Michael rolled his eyes again and Gabriel felt a sudden rush of affection for both of them. And guilt. Always an undertone of guilt. They were gone in a flash, the faint sound of wings flapping signaling their departure.

"I'm hungry," Balthazar complained.

"Already? Fine, I'll go get us a pizza or something," Gabe said, fully intending on poofing away and returning within a few minutes with a peperoni pizza, the house favorite. But when he concentrated his grace and energy, he found that nothing happened.

Castiel tilted his head quizzically.

"Well?" Balthazar supplied impatiently.

"I—I don't know. Guess I'm just not myself tonight. You must be right, Cassie. Say, you wanna run out and get us some food?"

"And what's wrong with me?!" Balthazar exclaimed, offended, as Gabriel was handing Cas the money.

"Even I'm not dumb enough to trust you on the loose with Michael's money."

Balthazar humphed.

…

Castiel was back in moments and the three ate, Gabriel really only picking at his food. The grease and cheese, which used to be his favorite part, now made him feel nauseous. He dropped his piece of pizza back on his plate before he could throw up in front of Balthy and Cassie. Afterward, Castiel retreated to his room to do homework and Balthazar and Gabe settled in front of the television to play video games.

"Don't you have homework?" Gabriel inquired lamely.

"Meh," Balthazar shrugged.

"I tried," Gabriel conceded. He was kicking his brother's ass in the game when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. He scooped it up and saw a text notification from Sam.

"Be right back," he mumbled quickly, bounding up the stairs to his room.

"You leave, you forfeit!" Balthazar called after him.

Once inside the relative safety of his room, Gabriel opened the text.

**Hey. How you doing?**

Gabriel smiled.

**Ok. A little pukey, and my grace is on the fritz.**

**Come again?**

The angel bit his tongue.

**Yes please;-)**

**…I don't know why I expected any different.**

**Me neither. How are you? How was debate?**

**It was ok. **

Actually, that was a lie. Sam hadn't even gone to debate practice. He'd walked home instead in a fog, and experienced some nausea of his own. He spent the next few hours staring blankly up at the rotating ceiling fan above his bed in his room.

**Missed you. Felt like I should be with you. I don't know.**

That was the truth.

**I know. Missed you too, Sammy.**

**Oh, hey, Dean's home. Sorry! See you tomorrow?**

Gabriel pouted at his phone screen.

**Yep. See you then. Nighty-night! Sleep tight!**

Gabriel tossed the phone on his bed and walked around, feeling restless. He paused in front of the mirror on the back of his closet door. He turned, examining his profile in his reflection; it was strange to him how his stomach still showed no visible sign of what was going on. He was paranoid that someone—his family, classmates, teachers—would be able to look at him in the past couple of days and just _know_. But no one had. It was a relief, maddening, and somewhat surreal all at the same time.

Gabe lifted his shirt and placed his palms on either side of his flat tummy, spreading out his fingers. He tried to imagine himself getting bigger and made a face.

"Hey Gabriel, do you have a calculator I could barro—

Cas blinked in surprise and Gabriel quickly jerked his shirt back down, face going beet-red.

"I—I'm sorry," Castiel said. "Your door was cracked and I thought…" Cas made a helpless gesture with hands.

The blonde searched his younger brother's blue eyes; they were level and worried and penetrating. Gabriel sighed. There was no use lying to the kid now.

"Cassie…damn, might as well get Balthazar in here too, before he starts wondering where everybody went and barges in here anyway. Hey, Balthy! Get in here!"

The other angel appeared as called.

"What's this, then? I was on a winning streak, Gabriel!"

Gabriel looked back and forth between them, considering.

"Alright. Can you little schmucks keep a secret?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Bullocks."

Balthazar was the first to break the stunned silence.

"You're joking. This is a joke."

Gabriel sighed. "Boy do I wish, kiddo."

Balthazar opened his mouth and clamped it shut again when he saw how serious his brother was. More serious and somber than he'd seen him in a long time, in fact. "Bloody hell," he mumbled, turning to Castiel.

The blue-eyed angel stepped forward. "Gabriel…how long? When did this happen?"

"A few weeks, give or take."

Castiel nodded, and then continued carefully.

"Is it Sam, Gabe? Is he the father?"

His family was aware that he and Sam shared a class and did a project together, though only Balthazar and Castiel knew that there was anything else to it.

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah. It's Sammy-boy."

"You shagged _that_? Good show!" Balthazar exclaimed admiringly.

Gabriel snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, thanks. Outcome could've been better, though," he muttered.

"You're gonna get huge. You're so…small already," the Brit went on, looking Gabe up and down. Castiel shot him a look.

"There are more pressing matters, Balthazar. Have you told Sam yet? I assume Michael and Lucifer don't know."

"Mikey's gonna flip his shit," Balthazar added gravely. "Lucifer, maybe, but definitely Michael."

"Sam knows, yeah. I'm telling Michael and Luci tomorrow night; Sam's talking to Dean then, too."

"Oohh, I forgot about hot Winchester the First," Balthazar said, nudging Cas. "That's the one you've got it bad for, right Cassie?" he teased.

To Gabriel's surprise, Castiel actually blushed. "Cut it out," he hissed.

Gabriel quirked an eyebrow. "No shit? Well, at any rate, watch the hell out; fertility and bad luck may run in the family," he warned, placing a hand on his belly. The brown-haired angel only blushed deeper.

"I'm only fifteen. Dean doesn't even know I exist."

"Well, we're all about to be one happy family!" Balthazar said, unable to contain his laughter.

He stopped abruptly when Lucifer's voice wafted up to them. "Anyone home?"

Gabriel looked back at his brothers anxiously. "Seriously, just until tomorrow. Zip it."

"We've got you, mate. Really," Balthazar said. Castiel nodded in agreement, and Gabriel gave them a small, grateful smile. Balthazar fluttered away, but Castiel paused a moment and put a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder.

"It's going to be ok, Gabriel," Gabriel was about to snap that he wished that phrase didn't exist anymore, he was already sick of it, but his youngest brother was expressing nothing but love and concern. Gabriel closed his eyes and patted the hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Castiel."

Castiel followed after Balthazar, but Gabriel remained in his now empty room. The blonde balled his fists up at his sides.

_Not fair_. Bal and Cas didn't deserve the turmoil that was about to engulf their household. They hadn't done anything wrong; they shouldn't be forced to endure a change like this. But they were, all because of him. _And Sam's dick_, Gabriel internally amended.

He suddenly felt very, very tired. It was earlier than he normally went to bed, and if that aroused suspicion, so be it. He couldn't face his two oldest brothers right now.

…

If Gabriel was hoping he'd feel more energized come morning, he was sorely mistaken. His alarm screeched rudely at him, but he groaned and knocked it to the floor before nestling back into the covers.

"Let's go, kiddo. Up and at 'em," Lucifer said from the other side of the door. "Come on, Gabe, we're all running late this morning."

Gabriel mumbled something that Lucifer had to press his ear to the door to hear.

He furrowed his brow. "You sick or something?"

Gabriel shot up. "No!" He cleared his throat and dragged himself out of bed. "No, I'm coming. Meet you downstairs."

Gabriel threw on whatever he could find and went to eat a quick breakfast with his family. Castiel and Balthazar were at the table; they caught Gabriel's eye as he came in, and Gabe smiled weakly at them. Lucifer was sitting on the counter, eating a bowl of oatmeal. The sight of it made Gabriel want to vomit again. Fortunately, Lucifer was finishing up.

"Welp, I'm going to class. See you all tonight. Later, Mike!" he called louder.

"Do you have to work this afternoon?" Gabriel asked.

Lucifer had a part time job at the local community college's library, where the 20 year old was also a student.

Lucifer shook his head. "Nope. I'll be home around four or so." He vanished, and Gabriel sighed. "Of course you will," he muttered to himself. Gabriel knew it was for the best not to wait; but the closer it got, the harder it seemed. He made himself some toast—the only thing he felt he could stomach—and plopped down with Balthazar and Castiel.

"You look like shit," Balthazar wasted no time in pointing out.

"Good morning to you too. I didn't sleep a whole lot last night." Gabriel rubbed his temples. Castiel watched him sympathetically.

"Are you still telling them tonight?" he asked.

"Mm. Have to. They'll know something up soon enough." He nibbled on his toast for a few minutes, and then noticed how quiet it had gotten. He glanced up to find his brothers staring at him.

"What?" Gabriel retorted, mouth full.

"You're preggers. We're still just a bit shocked, you'll have to excuse," Balthazar answered with a touch of sarcasm.

Gabriel put down his toast. "I know. I know it's a lot to spring on you guys. How are you? What, uh…what do you think?"

"Not any less of you, if you were worried," Castiel responded earnestly. Gabriel smiled affectionately at him.

"It blows a bit but it's happening, so…" Balthazar shrugged. "My mind's blown at the fact that _you're_ going to have a kid. I mean, bloody hell. What in the gods' name do you even _do_ in a situation like this?"

"I don't know," Gabriel admitted. "We don't exactly have a game plan yet."

Castiel cleared his throat. "It's a challenge I admittedly can't imagine myself, especially considering your age, but…you and Sam will figure it out. And Michael and Lucifer will help, Gabriel."

"Yeah, I'm less worried about Lucifer than—

"Michael, how are you on this fine morning?!" Balthazar said, louder and more cheerful than was needed, and it made Gabe and Castiel jump slightly. But it had the effect Balthazar intended by stopping the conversation and warning Gabriel that their oldest brother was near.

Michael stopped short in the doorway. "Fine. Good morning," he greeted as he went to the coffee maker. He leaned against the counter as he sipped it.

"Gabriel, are you all right?" He asked suddenly. Gabriel stilled again. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

Michael's forehead wrinkled and he took a few steps towards his younger brother, hand raised as if he meant to feel his brow. Gabriel jerked away.

"M'fine, Mikey. Really." Michael studied him but took his hand back.

"In that case, I'm late. And you're all about to be. Gabe, you better fly this morning," he told the blonde, knowing his strange affinity for walking.

Balthazar and Castiel nodded and stood, about to fly off, but when Gabriel shot them panicked looks, they halted.

"We will in a just a minute," Gabriel said. "Promise. I—still have to get my things together."

"Uh, me too," Balthazar added. Michael glanced at Castiel, who looked at his backpack on the floor, already packed, and shrugged helplessly. He couldn't use that excuse. Michael checked his watch.

"I don't have time for this. You're all old enough to get to school on time, just make sure you get there," he said, letting the matter drop. "Have a good day," and with that, he was gone off to his job at the courthouse.

When they were sure he was gone, Balthazar and Castiel looked to Gabriel for an explanation.

"Guys, I can't fly."

"What do you mean?" Castiel asked, confused.

"I mean…my grace is different. I think it's reacting to the baby." It felt strange on his tongue to say "the baby" out loud, but Gabriel pushed the feeling aside.

"Oh. Well, I'd offer to take you myself, but I'm afraid my skills aren't quite honed enough to take passengers."

"Same," Balthazar said. "The last poor bloke I tried to take ended up a county over. But that's a downer."

"It's ok. I'll run for it. I'll be ok guys, promise. No sense in you two being late, too," he insisted when they hesitated. But they eventually left, and Gabriel packed his backpack and set off on a steady jog. He broke into a run when he heard the faint ring of the warning bell in the distance. Gabriel was breathless when he got to the school's front lawn, but his heart swelled when he noticed a tall figure waiting under a shady tree.

"Sam!" Gabe said breathlessly as he approached. Sam turned quickly.

"Gabriel! Hey, I was getting worried."

"Yeah, sorry, I was slow gettin' moving this morning."

He closed his eyes and hummed softly when Sam pressed his cool hands to the sides of the angel's face.

"You're hot," he stated with concern.

"Just from running. Oh, and I haven't puked since yesterday afternoon," he said brightly. The human chuckled softly. "That's good. How are you otherwise?"

"I'm…not ok, exactly," he said, laughing nervously. "I still can't believe it, Sam. I know it's happening; I _feel_ it, but..."

"Me too," Sam admitted. "I'm not ok either, Gabe. I mean, wow, but…we will be. The biggest thing now is letting people know."

The final bell sounded, and Sam cringed. "We're late; let's go—hey! Gabe, what the hell?!"

Sam struggled to re-adjust when Gabriel jumped on his back without warning, wrapping his arms around Sam's shoulders and gripping tightly.

"I'm pregnant," he explained simply. "And I just ran a marathon. You have to carry me."

Sam grumbled but hooked his hands under the angel's legs.

"It's a good thing you're so damn light," he lamented as he started for the building.

"It's a good thing you _like_ me so much," Gabriel corrected.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, that too."

"You're like a giant pack-mule," Gabriel concluded. "Or a moose."

"Moose don't pack things!"

"Onward, Moose, giddy-up!" Gabriel continued, completely ignoring Sam.

"Ugh."

…

They met up for lunch, sitting on a grassy hill in the noontime sun.

"Oh, hey," Gabriel remembered. "Balthazar and Castiel already know. I had to tell them," Gabriel said apologetically.

"S'okay," Sam replied. "It won't be a secret after a few more hours, anyway. How'd they take it?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Ok, I guess. They're not mad or anything. Surprised the poor kids more than anything."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "How are you going to tell Michael and Lucifer?"

Gabriel chewed his bottom lip. "I'll tell them together. Get them in a room together and just…tell them," his mouth felt dry. "What about you?"

Sam scratched his chin. "Same thing, I guess? Fuck this is hard."

"It won't be pretty."

"No," Sam agreed. He wanted to say something to reassure Gabriel, to comfort him, but nothing came to mind because, no matter how much their families loved them, this was going to hit them like a ton of bricks. There was going to be anger, and disappointment, and maybe even yelling. Sam wrapped his arms around the angel and pulled him down to lie in the grass with him, a large hand absently rubbing the younger boy's stomach.

…

Gabriel was sick three times that day; once right before public speaking, and Sam was there to keep his hair out of his face and rub comforting circles over his back, silently wondering how much more of this there would be. Sam fretted over him and Gabriel was miserable. Sam hoped at least the sickness part of it would be over soon.

When the final bell rang, they drug it out for as long as possible. They took the long way back to Gabriel's street, moseying along. When they realized they had to separate, Gabriel smiled and brought a hand up to brush Sam's jaw, one of the only parts of his body that still gave him a boyish look (except his "puppy-dog eyes" as Dean called them). It would finish filling out soon, though, Gabriel could tell.

"Good luck, kiddo," he said quietly. Sam caught his hand and pressed it against his face.

"You too. Call me right after, if you can. We could even meet somewhere."

Gabriel nodded. "You too," Sam turned to go and turned back when he got to a corner he had to round. Gabriel kissed two fingers and waved them at the boy. Sam smiled and walked out of Gabriel's sight.

The angel turned to his house and let out a shaky breath. Everyone would be home soon. It was almost time.

…

Gabriel was fidgety the entire evening. One by one, his family came home. It was nerve-wracking, having Lucifer home but having to wait for Michael; he tried to do homework to pass the time but it all just seemed so…insignificant, now.

Michael finally did get home, and Gabriel was relieved that it seemed that the school had not caught Gabriel and Sam's tardiness. Michael definitely would have said something, and Gabriel did not want to start off this evening on a bad note—especially one that paled so much in comparison. When dinner was over, everyone lazily migrated to the living room to flip through 500 channels of nothing. It was nice and Gabriel cherished moments like these, unsure of when he'd get them back. After a while, however, he could take it no longer. He coughed a few times and managed to get Castiel's attention. Gabriel jerked his head in the direction of the stairs; Cas nodded and quietly went over and touched Balthazar's shoulder. The two made an excuse about needing to do homework and went upstairs.

Gabriel turned his attention back to his older brothers—at Michael, sitting in the recliner, reading a newspaper; Michael, with his constant stern-ness and logical expression. Michael, with all his responsibilities and attitude of taking it all in stride without complaining. Gabe shifted his gaze to Lucifer, who was sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, and his heart clenched a little. Lucifer, with his wit and patience and easy temperament (for the most part.) Lucifer, who still called Gabriel "buddy" and ruffled his little brothers' hair. Lucifer, who was going to have to be the bridge between the gaps.

Gabriel swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. When he spoke, his voice wavered.

"Hey, guys? Can you come in the kitchen? I…need to talk to you about something."

…

Same paced around the living room before finally plopping down on the couch, rubbing his hands together anxiously. He chewed a thumbnail and was about to check his watch for the thousandth time when Dean came through the door. He notched his chin at Sam.

"Hey, twerp. What's up?"

"I—how was work?" Sam asked, trying to sound casual despite his pounding heart.

Dean shrugged. "Good."

The older man snickered. "Kevin dropped a whole tray of drinks and everyone in the bar started clapping. It was freakin' hilarious, man, you shoulda seen the poor bastard's face."

Sam's eyes followed his brother as he shrugged out of his jacket and crossed the living room to the kitchen, a knot forming in his stomach.

"Dean I need to talk to you."

The 21 year old was rummaging through the fridge to find a beer, but he straightened up at Sam's rushed words, looking perplexed and slightly concerned. "Sure, Sammy."

He used the edge of the counter to pop the top off his drink and then joined his brother in the living room. Sam took a deep breath and leaned forward, leaning his elbows on his knees and staring at the floor. Dean sat as well, taking a swig of the beer but never taking his eyes off of his younger brother.

"You're making me nervous as hell, dude," Dean finally commented.

Sam glanced up at him. "I know; I'm sorry. I just don't know how to…Dean, do you remember Gabriel Novak?"

Dumb question. Dean huffed. "That obnoxious douche of a kid you did the project with for that class? Yeah, I remember."

"Dean, we…we've kinda been seeing each other the past couple of weeks and I don't know how tell you this but he's pregnant."

The silence that befell the small apartment following Sam's confession was torturous.

Dean was frozen, beer clutched in his hand. He stared, green eyes unblinking at Sam.

"I—wha—uh…is that possible?" he spat out.

Sam nodded. "For some male angels, yes."

Dean slowly lowered the bottle to the side table beside his chair. He brought his hands up to rub his face. "Oh, Sam. Fucking hell, man."

The younger boy flinched. "I'm sorry, Dean," his voice cracked. Gabriel was not here for Sam to have to be strong for, so for the first time, Sam let some of the emotions he'd be burying through. His hands started to tremble.

Dean got up, put his hands on his hips, and started walking around aimlessly. "I just…what the _hell_ was going through your head, Sammy? I mean, I have a pretty good idea. Definitely not your life, huh? Not school; not debate; not fucking college. You were planning on Stanford, Sam Stanford! Boy, have you screwed up but good."

"I know that!" Sam exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. "You don't think I know that? You don't think I've thought about it every goddamn day?! I'm scared, Dean. I'm really scared."

"Yeah, well, you fuckin' should be," his older brother snapped. Dean must have seen something on Sam's face, though—that pitiful, helpless look—because he sighed and sat down next to the seventeen year old. He examined him for a long time.

"I just didn't expect this from you, kid. Complete shocker. Out of all the things I worry about with you, this definitely wasn't one of them."

Sam swallowed. "I know, Dean. The last thing I ever wanted to do was let you down. I'm sorry."

Sam couldn't hold back the tears, and Dean swore under his breath. "Geez. Alright, alright. Come here, man. Look, it's not me you should worry about. I just…I hate that you went and did this to yourself, twerpy."

Sam leaned into his brother's hug, and his solid, warm frame was reassuring. After Sam calmed a bit, Dean pulled back to look him in the eye and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"You have complicated the holy hell out of your life. But…I guess there are worse things you could do."

"Really?" Sam asked dubiously.

Dean shrugged. "Sure. Now, don't get me wrong, this was a pretty massive fuck-up. But we'll find a way. We always do."

The thought hit Sam then that he didn't know what he'd do without Dean. Dean smiled at him and Sam returned it.

"So," Dean said, suddenly shifting gears. "First thing's first. You love him?"

Sam blinked. "What?"

"Are you two plannin' on staying together?"

"Oh. Well, yes. And yeah…I care about him a lot, Dean," he stated seriously.

"So…I'll be seeing more of him?" Dean groaned and leaned back into the couch, reluctantly resigned. "Fine."

Sam breathed a light laugh and the brothers sat together in the safety and comfort of their home and each other's presence, just as they always had. The world could not scare them here.

But Sam still checked his phone every few minutes, and let his head drop with a sigh on the back of the couch when there was nothing there.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The silence that had settled into the kitchen after Gabriel's announcement was so thick that the blonde feared he would choke on it. So he focused on his own hands, balled up and clutched together on the table, and on the ticking of the wall clock. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Michael suddenly slapped his palm down on the table.

"Who."

Gabriel blinked. "Who…what?"

"The father, Gabriel, who is the _father_."

The younger angel swallowed and studied his brother. He'd seen Michael upset before, even angry. But this was different. There was a deadly, precise calm to his voice that made Gabriel seriously hesitate to say Sam's name.

"Gabe," Lucifer said, softy but tightly. "We do actually need to know. It's important."

Gabriel turned to Lucifer. The sandy-haired angel was looking at him with an expression that Gabriel couldn't read. He swallowed.

"Sam," he said, barely audible.

A beat passed, and Gabe could see the cogs turning in both his brothers' heads.

"Wait—Winchester? Sam _Winchester_? That kid you did the project with? _He_ knocked you up?" Lucifer exclaimed, incredulous.

Gabriel looked between him and Michael and nodded. Lucifer sighed and mumbled something, and Michael clenched his jaw and closed his eyes as if in thought. Or possibly trying to hold himself back.

"He has a brother, correct? The bartender?"

Gabriel nodded again. "Yeah. Sam lives with him." The blonde felt his throat tighten. "Guys, I—I don't know what to say here. I'm sorry. I'm so so—

Michael held up a hand. "Call him."

"What?"

"Call him. Now. I want to see him. Either he comes over here or I'm going over there."

Gabriel shot Lucifer a panicked look.

"Ah, Mikey. Maybe now's not the best—

"I said now." And that was that. Lucifer shrugged helplessly at Gabriel.

"Uh, ok. I'll-i'll text him. It'll take him a few minutes to get over here and give you time to, um, calm down."

Michael nodded absently and went to the window, looking out aimlessly. Gabriel took in the set of his shoulders and the ridged straightness of his back. Despite having no military background to speak of, Gabriel's dark-haired oldest brother had always had a uniform quality about him. He just never realized how intimidating it could be. He sighed and pulled out his phone. Lucifer's face had softened into a sad, sympathetic expression. Gabriel knew it would be like this. Michael and Lucifer always played off of each other and complimented each other well. If Lucifer had been the one to react strongly and angrily, Michael would be calm and collected right now. As it was, Lucifer was the ice to Michael's fire. Gabriel hit the send button on his phone and bit his lip, staring down at the screen.

"Oh, Gabe," Lucifer sighed, rubbing his face. Gabriel flinched again.

"I'm sorry, Luci. I'm so fucking sorry."

…

Sam had his phone in his hand the second it went off. He wrinkled his brow when he saw what Gabriel had texted him.

"What?" Dean said.

"Uh…Gabriel wants us to come over," Sam answered, glancing at Dean and then back down at his phone, confused.

"What, now?"

Sam nodded. "He says if we don't go to him, Michael's coming to us."

"Oh hell no," Dean stated flatly. "We are not bending over for these people. No way."

"Dean," Sam tried to reason, getting anxious. "Do you really want them over here? All of us in our little apartment, where the neighbors can hear? I don't want any trouble."

Dean studied his younger brother's face and swore under his breath. "Alright. Fine," he huffed. He stopped to finish off his beer before shrugging back into his jacket. When they got to the door, Dean reached out to open it for Sam.

"After you, daddy," he quipped blandly.

"_Ugh."_

…

Michael wouldn't look at him. It was a solid fifteen minutes of Gabriel staring at his unyielding back and Lucifer giving him looks that said so much and nothing at the same time.

Gabriel jumped up when he heard a tentative knock at the door. Lucifer got up and trailed Gabriel; Michael turned from the window and stood in the kitchen's doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

Gabriel answered the door and felt a rush of relief and comfort; simply seeing Sam did that for him.

"Hey," he whispered, ushering he and Dean in. "Hey to you too, Dean-O."

Dean looked Gabriel up and down and shook his head, dazed, before entering. The angel shot Sam a puzzled look.

"I just told him, like, less than an hour ago. He's still shell-shocked," the younger Winchester whispered back. Gabriel hummed and then stiffened when he realized how quiet it had gotten. He, Sam, and Dean still stood near the door. Gabriel cleared his throat.

"Dean, these are my brothers. This is Lucifer," Gabriel said, gesturing towards the sandy-haired angel at the center of the room who was currently studying Sam with a curious but unnerving laser-like focus. He notched his chin at their guests but made no move to take Dean's awkwardly outstretched hand. He kept his eyes on Sam, who fidgeted under the scrutiny.

"And that's Michael," Gabriel continued, looking over at the oldest Novak, who was making his way over to them.

"Guys, this is Sam's brother Dean. And, uh, you both remember Sam."

Sam forced himself to meet both Michael and Lucifer's gazes. He loved Gabriel, and he needed to show his family that he'd do anything for their brother. That he wasn't afraid, even if his long legs felt sore from the effort exerted to keep his knees from knocking together.

"Seems the kids here have got themselves into quite a fix, huh?" Dean said bluntly, speaking his first words since entering the house.

Michael shifted his steely blue eyes to Dean. "That's one way to put it, yes."

"Why don't we all just…I don't know, sit down or something?" Gabriel suggested. They all found a seat, Gabriel taking a place beside Sam on the couch. They laced their fingers and clasped their hands together between them, feeling the pitter-patter of each-other's racing pulse.

"Um," Sam started, grabbing everyone attention. He gripped Gabriel's hand tighter. "I think me and Gabe should start out by saying that this obviously was not supposed to happen. We"—he turned to Gabriel's soft, encouraging smile for support amid the other hard, expectant stares—"we're really sorry. We messed up and we know it."

"That's not what I want to hear. What are your intentions with Gabriel?" Michael responded, business-like. He was looking at Sam. The tall human swallowed and locked eyes with him.

"I assure you, Michael. I have no plans or desire to skip out."

"You're graduating at the end of this year. Going off to college, I presume?" He continued.

"Mike, Sam's already said—

"Gabriel, I'm talking to _Sam_ right now."

The blonde slumped down further into the couch, dejected.

"Well?" Michael prompted.

Sam was starting to feel very anxious and overwhelmed again when Dean's gruff voice cut in.

"Hey. Sammy's already answered. He's not goin' anywhere. Easy."

"Easy?" Michael echoed. "You're brother got my brother _pregnant_, Mr. Winchester."

"First off, it's Dean. Second, yeah, I know. I'm in this just as much as you are. It kinda affects all of us, dude. And don't even act like this is all my brother's fault. Have you _seen_ how Gabriel acts around people sometimes?"

"Well this is going well," Gabriel muttered to Sam.

"Oh god," the other boy groaned.

Michael turned his attention back to Sam.

"Did you know this was a possibility for Gabriel?" Michael inquired.

"Did Gabriel take the time to fully _explain_ it?" Dean added. He raised his eyebrows, unimpressed, at Michael's glare.

"It's safe to say neither of us were…thinking clearly at the time," Sam answered.

"At the time? Yes, when exactly did this happen?" Michael said.

Gabriel felt heat rise up to the tip of his ears—unusual, as he typically did not blush easily. He just never thought he would be having a conversation like this with his brother, and it felt surreal.

"It was a few weeks ago," Gabriel answered reluctantly. "We were at—

"Oh my good lord, please don't say it happened _here_, that's absolutely _disgusting_!" Came an unmistakable British voice from upstairs. It was followed by a lower, muffled reprimand—Castiel.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. Dean startled and looked around.

"That would be Balthazar," Gabriel cringed. "And Castiel. My other two brothers."

"Oh right," Dean said. "I think I've seen them around." He glanced up, though the youngest Novaks were hidden from his view.  
"Oh shit, Cassie, he knows who you are—ow!" Balthazar yelped when Cas delivered a punch to his arm.

Michael, normally so patient with his brothers' shenanigans, was in no mood tonight. "Balthazar and Castiel. Go to bed this very instant. I don't want to hear you again tonight. I mean it." His threat was heeded, Balthazar and Castiel wisely scurrying off to their rooms.

"I think we should move on," Lucifer said quietly, once the brief interruption was over. He had been silently observing, taking everything in and thinking. Now, his words turned every head towards him.

"It doesn't matter," Lucifer explained. "We're not talking about the right things or asking the right questions. It doesn't matter when or where or whose fault. It's happened. Let's move forward," his gaze landed on Michael, and the two regarded each other for a moment. Finally, Michael sighed and nodded. Gabriel could've hugged Lucifer right then.

"You're right. Well. What now? Sam, Gabriel, have you two talked about this yet? What you're going to do about the—the baby?" Michael spat out the foreign word.

The teenagers looked at each other and blinked because, no, they hadn't. But somehow, Gabriel was able to answer for both of them.

"We're keeping it," he stated, and Sam smiled at him.

Michael nodded slowly. "Alright then. What about school? For both of you? Gabriel, you're not dropping out; Sam, what about college?"

"Sammy was up for a scholarship to Stanford," Dean said wistfully.

"Which I'll have to pass on," Sam said. "I'll go to a community college here for the first couple of years and work while I'm in school. For now…I'll drop debate and find a job to pay for things."

He looked to Dean. His older brother was proud of his commitment and resolve; Dean figured he must not have screwed up raising him so badly after all. Still, the older Winchester couldn't hide his wry smile or the sadness in his eyes.

"And I'll just have to…deal with walking around pregnant at school and raising a kid my senior year." Gabriel felt faint again, but Sam tightened his grip on his hand, bringing him back.

Lucifer snorted. "You make it sound so easy."

"Well," Dean said, licking his lips. "I can help a little. Neither of you can work full-time and you're gonna need it. Sammy, I'll try to find you something at the bar, and I'll kick in when I can. Michael…?"

"Of course. Our parents left us a bit of money, and I can dip into it," it was the softest his tone had gotten all evening. Whether it was out of affection and concern for Gabriel or for the memory of their mother and father, Gabriel didn't know.

"So…we're clear on a few things, at least," Dean reasoned. "Sam's not going anywhere, the kids are staying together, there's kind of a plan for the long-term, and we've touched bases as far as finances. I think that's a good starting point…and stopping point," he added. It was getting late, and it was starting to wear on tired brains and frayed nerves.

Lucifer nodded his agreement. "Agreed. We've talked about all we can talk about tonight."

"Well, then, Dean…I suppose we'll be in touch?" Michael said uncertainly. This was new territory.

Dean shifted. "I guess so," he said, stroking his chin. He got up and started for the door. "Sammy? You coming?"

Sam looked back at Gabriel, who smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Go on, kiddo. I'll see you tomorrow, kay?"

Sam studied him and nodded. "Text or call if you need me," he said. Gabriel walked the Winchesters to the door and closed it behind them. He then turned back to his brothers. He didn't know what to say. They looked exhausted, and Gabriel had to admit he was beat as well.

"Michael…

"Go up to bed, Gabriel. You look tired and you need rest." He turned away and Gabriel's chest felt heavy. Was Michael not going to be able to look him in the eye, now?

Lucifer at least managed at small smile at him, pulling him into a hug that Gabriel wanted to melt into.

When he pulled away, he met Gabriel's eye for a moment, and Gabe thought he saw a tear. Lucifer cleared his throat and stepped back before he could be sure. Gabriel nodded and headed up the stairs. When he was gone, Michael and Lucifer were left alone in the living room with the evening events and information weighing on them.

"Mike—

"Don't you even _try_ to defend him, Lucifer," Michael seethed. "Not this time."

Lucifer held up his hands. "I wasn't. Okay? I wasn't."

"They have no idea," Michael said under his breath. "They just have no idea."

"I know," Lucifer agreed. "But that's why he needs us, Michael."

When Michael didn't reply, Lucifer sighed. "Well. Are we going to tell…_him_?"

Michael's eyes flashed. "No. Not immediately. Zachariah doesn't need to know right now. There's no reason to go out of our way to let him know." Michael sighed and sat down on the couch, burying his face in his hands. Lucifer was one of the few people he allowed to see him in this state, and his younger brother came over and placed a comforting hand on his back.

"We can't get him out of this," Michael stated. Lucifer shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid not. We can only help him the best we can."

…

Upstairs, Gabriel strained to hear Michael and Lucifer's hushed tones. He should be asleep, but his brain was buzzing and his heart was heavy. One word grabbed him, though.

_Zachariah_.

Their father's relative? Why would Mike and Luci bother with him? Gabriel knew that Zachariah had been in charge of their parents' estate after their death until Michael came of age, and that he'd been involved in the younger Novak children's custody at one time, but Gabriel had been under the impression that that had all been dealt with a while ago. After all, they rarely discussed him and only saw him once or twice a year. He shrugged and rolled over, closing his eyes. They popped back open when he heard his phone buzz. It was Sam.

**I'm outside your window.**

Gabriel tilted his head at his phone and got out of bed. Sure enough, Sam was there, grinning, hands in his jacket pockets.

"Sam? What are you doing back here?"

"I was worried. Kind of a big night," he mumbled, kicking at the ground.

Gabriel's heart swelled. "Hang on, Romeo, I'll be right down." The angel was about to use the stairs when he remembered that his brothers were probably still in the living room. Though the evening had gone surprisingly ok considering the subject matter, Gabriel still wasn't sure Michael and Lucifer would be delighted to see Sam back again tonight. He took a deep breath and concentrated as hard as he could. To his relief he winded up outside, in front of Sam.

"Hey, it worked!" The brunette exclaimed.

"This time," Gabe muttered. "Lower your voice!"

Sam nodded and held open in arms. Gabe went to him willingly.

"You ok?" Sam asked.

Gabriel nodded against his chest. "I guess. You?"

Sam chuckled humorlessly. "I thought they were going to kill me."

"You and me both, for a little while, there. But I think you impressed them, Sam. Michael especially. Good job."

"Thanks," the human responded.

"How's Dean? He know you're here?" Gabe said, leaning back to look at Sam.

"He wants me home in thirty minutes, but said to come if I felt like I needed to. He's…ok. Dealing with it. I wonder what everyone's gonna think after sleeping on it?"

Gabe snorted. "They'll probably wake up hoping it was all just a dream like we did."

Sam hummed as a cool breeze raised goosebumps on his skin despite his jacket. He unconsciously squeezed Gabriel tighter, and without thinking, Gabriel released a burst of grace and Sam was suddenly engulfed in the golden warmth of the angel's wings. They glimmered and shimmered, and Sam gasped, staring at Gabe with wide eyes. The angel shrugged sheepishly and wrapped them around Sam, drawing him near again.

"You were cold."

Sam was speechless in his awe. "You're beautiful," the words finally tumbled out reverently.

"Shut up," Gabe rolled his eyes, laying his head back down on Sam's shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gabriel cautiously descended the stairs. It was quiet, though nowhere near peaceful. The blonde quickly realized where everyone was—in the kitchen. Castiel and Balthazar were sitting at the table, listening to Michael as they ate breakfast and finished last-minute homework that they'd skipped in favor of eavesdropping on last night's drama. Lucifer stood off to one side. Michael stopped abruptly when he spotted Gabriel. Something flashed in his dark eyes, and Gabriel caught the slight tightening of his jaw. The younger angel sighed when his oldest brother broke the eye contact.

"Mornin', all," he mumbled as he entered the kitchen and poured himself some cereal. Balthazar and Castiel were acting normally enough despite the tension in the air. Lucifer clapped his shoulder.

"How you doin', kid?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Better, I guess. Uh, how about you guys?"

"We'll survive, I suppose," Lucifer answered. There was only a touch of humor in his tone, but Gabriel clung to it nonetheless. He glanced over at Michael, who was at the sink with his back turned. He leaned in and whispered to Lucifer.

"How…how is he this morning? He seems pissed still."

Lucifer leaned back and blinked at him. "Well, sure, Gabe," he said, matter-of-fact.

Gabriel sighed again. Michael cleared his throat.

"Gabriel. I've made you a doctor's appointment; I tried to make it for after school hours, but they didn't have an opening. It's at one-thirty. Lucifer doesn't have to work this afternoon, so he will come sign you out of class and escort you to the appointment."

Gabriel, copying Lucifer from a moment ago, blinked at his brother. Leave it to Michael to get right on the ball and down to business.

"I—uh, ok. I guess I hadn't thought about that."

"No, really? _You_ didn't think of it?" Balthazar chimed in sarcastically. Lucifer thumped him on the head as he walked by.

"No one yanked your chain, Bal. I gotta finish getting ready for class. Gabe, I'll see you later."

"I should go, too." The oldest Novak paused and licked his lips, glancing around at his remaining brothers. He looked like he wanted to say something, but apparently he decided against it, as he simply nodded at them before flying off.

Gabriel plopped down in a chair. "So. What was Michael saying to you guys before I walked in? I know it was about me."

The younger siblings shrugged. "He just wanted to see how we were taking it," Castiel said. "And assure us that we were going to get through this, and—

"Lotta mushy crap, they're not about to send you off, blah blah blah," Balthazar interrupted. "Did I hear you right, mate? You and Moose keeping the kid?"

Gabriel absently rubbed a hand over his belly. "Well…I'm definitely having it. And yeah, I'm pretty sure me and Sammy wanna give it a go. I don't want to give our kid to someone else, y'know? Just feels kinda wrong."

Balthazar stilled, and Gabriel cringed when he realized what he'd said.

"Aw, Balthy, I didn't mean it like that."

Balthazar had come to them when he was five years old. The Novak family learned of the then-foster child's plight—being an angel and having to bounce around between human families who didn't understand or know how to handle him—and had agreed to take the Brit in. Balthazar had fit in almost immediately, and had been a part of their family ever since. None of them could imagine their lives without him.

"No worries, mate," Balthazar tried to brush it away, but Gabriel could hear the sting in his voice. He placed his hand on his younger brother's arm.

"Hey. You're no less a part of this family than me, or Cassie, or Mikey or Luci. Got it? All I meant was…I just don't want to give him up if I can help it."

Balthazar nodded thoughtfully and Castiel smiled reassuringly at him before turning his attention back to Gabe.

"They seem to be taking it well," Castiel said with a lilt of optimism.

Gabriel grumbled. "We'll see."

…

"I'm going with you," Sam insisted immediately upon hearing about the doctor's appointment.

"Sammy, Lucifer's taking me. I _think_ he's past wanting to smite you, but it's only been a day. You may wanna give him some room, big guy."

"No. Gabe, I wasn't there when you found out. I wasn't there when you told your family. I want to be there for everything from now on."

Gabriel didn't think he could love this boy more. Finally, he found his voice again.

"Sam…I know," he reached up and placed both his hands on Sam's shoulders. "And you will be. But this is one appointment. There are no sonograms this time or anything. It's too early. Why don't you save your allotted absences for when there's something to see? Besides, Dean would need to sign you out. Lucifer can't, he's not your guardian or on your approved check-out list."

Sam pursed his lips, thinking. "But…what if something happens? Or what if she says something I need to know to help you?"

Gabriel smiled warmly. "Lucifer will be there. And I swear, I'll call you as soon as I'm out."

Sam nodded slowly, reluctantly. "You promise?"

Gabriel made a crossing motion over his chest and held up a hand.

"Fine." Sam leaned down and pecked the angel on his grinning lips.

…

The intercom beeped while Gabriel was drawing doodles on a class assignment he had yet to start on.

"Gabriel Novak for check-out," the receptionist blared through the speaker.

The teacher nodded in the angel's direction. "Go on."

"Thank the freakin' gods," Gabriel mumbled. The teacher shot him a disapproving look but Gabriel was out the door before he could comment.

He smiled when he approached the front office to find Lucifer waiting for him.

"Hey buddy. You ready?"

Gabriel nodded and closed his eyes as Lucifer pressed two fingers to his brother's forehead. There was a soft fluttering sound and the brief, vague feeling of movement. When Gabriel opened his eyes again, they were outside the clinic's door. Gabriel had always admired and been jealous of how smooth his older brothers' movements and transitions were, but the action still managed to affect Gabriel in his current state. He rocked slightly, suddenly feeling nauseous again.

"Hey," Lucifer said, putting a hand on the younger angel's shoulder to steady him. "You alright?" His voice touched concern and his brow was furrowed.

"Yeah. I think. My gut doesn't like flying these days, apparently," he cringed.

Lucifer smirked but continued to stare at his brother. He also didn't remove his hand.

"What?" Gariel inquired.

"I can feel it. The change in you. Your grace…and a presence that isn't yours," he stated simply.

Gabriel's eyes widened. His heart pounded in his chest. "Y-yeah?" He whispered.

Lucifer nodded and squeezed Gabriel's shoulder before releasing it, expression blank. He opened the door and looked back at the other angel expectantly. Gabriel licked his lips and took a deep breath, and then followed Lucifer. He didn't know why, but a thought hit him as they made their way to the waiting room assigned to the Novak's doctor.

"I guess…could Mike not come?" Gabriel asked softly.

Lucifer glanced at him sidelong. "Michael had to work. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah, he said so this morning, but I just thought maybe…"

Gabriel didn't know if it was the hormones or what, but he had to swallow a lump. There was no reason for Michael to be here as well. But still, Gabriel felt a knot form in his stomach whenever he was around Michael since this whole thing had started. He was desperate for his oldest brother—for his solid presence and reassuring demeanor. Too bad Mikey could barely stand to be in the same room with him for too long.

"Gabriel," Lucifer stated, as if reading Gabe's thoughts. "Mikey wanted to be here. Honest. But I was the only one free and, pal, you have to give him time. He's upset, but mostly at himself."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Right."

Lucifer let that slide. Gabriel signed himself in and took a seat while Luci got the required forms from the nurse at the window. It had been a long time since Gabriel—since any of them—had had to visit the doctor for any reason. Not since they were small fledglings and had come with their mother for routine check-ups that they'd eventually grown out of. Gabriel smiled gently to himself at the memories. Now, could hear his brother grumbling at all the new paperwork to fill out. A comment floated over to him in the silence of the waiting room. Apparently there was some confusion.

"No, no—_Novak_. Yeah, I know, it's been a while. Yes. I'm with the irresponsible sixteen year old—the one with the human boyfriend that couldn't keep it in his pants."

Gabriel gasped. "_Lucifer_," he half hissed, half groaned. The other angel simply looked at him and shrugged. He eventually came to sit by Gabriel to fill out paperwork.

Gabriel looked around. Speaking of Sam, he wished the human were here—and after he'd insisted that he not come, too. But the waiting room was intimidating and smelled funny; the slight brush of Lucifer's arm against his own was the only thing that helped his nerves. Gabriel studied his brother's face as he bit his pen in concentration.

Gabriel chewed his lip. "Luci?"

"Hmm?" The older angel responded, raising his eyebrows but not looking up from the forms.

"Are *we* cool?"

Lucifer met his eyes now and studied his brother for what seemed like an eternity. "You're sixteen and knocked up. By a seventeen year old human. I'm not excited. But…yes, Gabe, we're cool. We always have been."

Gabriel let the air out of his lungs. Lucifer patted his knee. Finally, the nurse called Gabriel back.

…

The examination was…uncomfortable but quick. The doctor confirmed the pregnancy, took routine vital signs and basic information, and went over everything they needed to know and do before the next appointment. She also answered the Novak's awkwardly asked questions.

("So, the baby, I mean, when it's time..." Lucifer had asked. Gabriel didn't think he'd ever seen his brother flounder quite like this. But the doctor was kind and patient. "C-section, Mr. Novak." Gabriel felt sick, and Lucifer hadn't looked much better.)

But they had made it through the first appointment. It was only 2:00pm. Gabriel could technically still go back to school and catch most of his final class. With Sam. But Sam wasn't expecting him back at school, anyway, and Gabriel fully planned on calling him soon.

"Think you could stomach a burger and fries?" Lucifer inquired. Gabriel grinned. There was a reason he and Lucifer were so close.

"Why don't we find out?"

…

To Gabriel's relief, he did in fact manage to keep the late lunch down. They had filled Michael in on everything when he returned home from work. The dark-haired angel listened intently and with concern, nodding at the end of the summary of the day. He even smiled slightly at Gabriel, as if to provide some iota of comfort. The blonde raced upstairs afterwards to phone Sam. He gave Sam the rundown, albeit a much longer and more detailed version than he'd given his brother.

("They're going to cut you open?!" Sam had exclaimed, incredulous and slightly panicked.)

Sam asked endless questions, and though Gabriel appreciated him, the older boy was getting on his nerves.

"Sam. Sammy. Stop," he yawned. "How was your day?" He tried, hoping for a topic change. The other end of the line went silent, and Gabriel straightened up on his bed.

"Sam?"

"I, um…I quit Debate today, Gabe," the human answered quietly. Gabriel was stunned for a brief moment. He'd completely forgotten about Debate—how much it had meant to Sam, how hard he'd worked.

"Sam…frick, kiddo. I'm sorry," Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut. Sam was giving up so much.

"S'okay," Sam dismissed nonchalantly.

"It's not," the angel insisted. "How are you?"

He heard the lanky boy sigh, and imagined him running his hand through his brown hair, which was starting to curl over his ears.

"I'm okay. I mean, I'm gonna miss it. And the guys were a little pissed. Don't worry, I made up an excuse about needing to focus on school. But…I'm fine. This is more important, Gabe. You are more important. I don't want to be doing anything else."

Now Gabe really wished Sam was here. "Sammy…can I come over tomorrow." Tomorrow was Saturday. He had nothing else going on then, and if his brothers had a problem with it, well, they could deal with it. Sam was the father of his child and his boyfriend.

Gabriel could hear the smile in Sam's voice. "Of course."

…

Gabriel moaned softly and buried his face back in Sam's neck, inhaling the older boy's cologne. Gabe's senses were starting to change and heighten, and the feel of Sam's hair between his fingers and the smell of his skin was nothing short of intoxicating.

Sam chuckled, his hands resting on Gabriel's hips. They were on the couch in the Winchester's apartment. It had started out a simply watching TV together, but had somehow morphed into a make-out session that included Gabriel straddling Sam's lap. They hadn't done anything really physical since that first time, what with everything that had happened right after and didn't realize how starved they were for each other.

A door opened and slammed very loudly close by. Gabe tried to sit up straight, which was awkward at their angle, and Sam held him steady. Dean froze in the middle of slinging off his jacket when he saw them.

"Ah—hey, Dean! I, uh, thought you were working late tonight," Sam inwardly cursed the way his voice cracked.

"Nope. Monday nights, dude, remember," he regarded the two teens with some amusement. "So. What've you kids been up to?" He asked casually, but with a tinge of teasing. Sam tried to put some distance between himself and the angel, his face going beet-red when Dean couldn't hold back his laugh at Sam's struggle.

"You guys," Dean mumbled, shaking his head. He was still smiling. He hung up his jacket and the smile quickly faded when he turned to be confronted with Gabe leaning in for another kiss.

"Hey. Hey! I'm home, now, seriously; cut it out. I don't know what it is about this apartment that makes you two think it's ok to get busy in here," he griped. Sam cringed and turned even redder. Gabriel simply hummed.

"I have four siblings. There's always someone home. Sam has more privacy."

"Yeah, well, maybe that was part of the problem in the first place," Dean snapped, heading for the fridge. Sam sighed and maneuvered Gabriel off of him. The angel pouted, and Sam could hear his wings ruffling.

"Sorry. It's just too awkward," Sam explained sternly. But he wrapped an arm around the angel anyway and pulled him close to his side. Pressed up against Sam's warmth, Gabriel was soon fast asleep.

Sam peered down at his angel's serene face. He hadn't been entirely truthful with Gabe. Quitting debate had been very difficult. He'd done what he needed to do, but it still hit him hard. Just a couple of months ago, he was a mostly carefree senior on his way to college. Debate had been the biggest stressor on his mind. Dropping it was just another reminder that that part of his life was over now. He kissed the top of Gabe's head and wrapped himself around the angel like an anchor.

…

"Gabriel. Hey, kid."

Gabriel mumbled something unintelligible and tried to press further into Sam. His eyes slowly fluttered open when Dean gently shook his arm.

"Hey, Gabe. It's 9:00pm, dude. I don't mind if you stay, I just thought you might wanna call your family or something."

Gabriel's mind broke through the haze of sleep and he rubbed his eyes. "Oh, geez," he yawned. He looked over to find Sam slumped against the armrest, still out cold.

"Yeah, thanks. I didn't realize what time it was." It was a weekend night, and not too terribly late, so Gabriel hoped Michael wouldn't be lighting up his phone too bad. He checked it to find only one missed call from his oldest brother, from thirty minutes ago. He hit the call-back button.

"Where are you?" Michael asked upon answering, mildly annoyed.

"I told you, at Sam's," Gabriel answered. He had to remember to watch his tone and not remind his brother that he is sixteen and old enough to make his own decisions. He blew it recently in that aspect.

"Look, I might just go ahead and spend the night. I'm tired. And me and Sam were gonna go get breakfast together tomorrow, anyway."

Michael sighed. Should a good guardian let his sixteen year old charge spend the night with his boyfriend? Probably not.

"I don't know, Gabe. I don't think…

"Mikey, geez, what else could happen that hasn't already?!"

Sam stirred, and Gabriel glanced over at him and mouthed the word "Michael." Sam nodded and dozed off again.

Michael groaned. "_Gabe_." Another sigh and pause. "Is Dean home?"

"Yep. He's not going anywhere. What do you think we're gonna do with him right here? We'll probably just watch a movie and go to sleep or just go straight to sleep."

"…fine. Alright, Gabe. But be home a decent time tomorrow. It's a school night."

"Kay, thanks," Gabriel said quickly, hanging up.

Sam, woken up now, flung an arm lazily around Gabe's shoulders. "You staying?"

Gabe nodded. "Sure am," he said, waggling his eyebrows. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Just pick a movie, Short Round."

This earned him a swift kick to the calf from Gabriel.

…

Gabriel hummed pleasantly as he walked up to his house. He turned and waved at Dean and Sam, who had dropped him off. Crickets chirped in the early Sunday twilight hours. Gabe opened the door and called out to his family.

"I'm home, guys."

"I don't know! How the hell am I supposed to know where they screwed up?" Lucifer snapped at Michael.

Gabe raised an eyebrow. Apparently, he'd interrupted an argument. _But what else was new these days_. Michael turned his attention to Gabe.

"Gabriel…has Zachariah tried to contact you? At all?"

Gabriel frowned. What an odd question. "Uh, no. Why in the world would he?"

Lucifer glanced at his older brother, who shook his head hastily. "Nothing. Just…tell me if he does, okay?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Sure thing, Mikey. Welp. I'm gonna get a snack and head upstairs, I guess." When he'd done so, Michael and Lucifer continued.

"I still don't understand why they would contact Zachariah?" Michael pondered.

"I think they got some of the old forms mixed up with the new ones, Mikey. When did he call?"

"This morning. He's very displeased. And strongly suggested that this proves I'm not a fit guardian," Michael sighed wearily, rubbing his eyes. "Then he just ranted for forever."

"Michael. Zachariah won't do anything. He can't make trouble for us anymore."

"He could," Michael insisted. The room was silent for a few minutes.

"Well. He hasn't yet," Lucifer said. His resolve sounded weakened, however.

"First thing's first," Michael started. "I'm calling the doctor's office, the school, and anyone else I can think of and letting them know not to release any information about Gabe to anyone that's not me or you."

Lucifer nodded. They retreated to their separate rooms and Lucifer found himself saying a silent, half-serious prayer for the poor bastards down at the doctor's office. They were going to get quite the earful first thing tomorrow morning.


End file.
